INDIGENOUS TOUR GUIDES: INNATE INFLUENCERS OF CULTURAL MEDIATION

A key component of any destinations' culture is the country's indigenous population, including the indigenous tour guides who convey the indigenous experience to the tourists as they are mostly the only ones to be encountered at first hand by the tourists; yet, their exceptional role is largely unmapped. This research aims to explore the experiences and perspectives of indigenous tour guides on their cultural mediating role; specifically, in a cultural context in which the indigenous people are dominant, powerful in the society, and represent the majority of the local community. The research inquiry uses a qualitative approach employing key informants and semistructured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from tour guides in Jordan. The findings are organized in two themes based on the related literature and the interviews transcripts. First, tour guides' beliefs about their role as cultural mediators. Next, tour guides' opinions about the influencing action they practice in their interpretation. The research emphasized the utmost exceptionality of indigenous tour guides as innate cultural mediators revealing their influencing power of such mediation, specifically in an oriental cultural setting. The research recommends considering the indigenous tour guides as key players in bridging the gaps between different cultures, giving the fact that indigenous knowledge is acquired from being indigenous people. In addition, the research indicated that it is critical to recognize the quality of mediation they perform, taking into account the accurate interpretation of the destination's culture.